POTLS - Chapter 4: Below Threshold

"Run faster, Paul!" Lina called out excitedly from behind a tree as she passed by.

"Keep your breathing steady, Paul," Kate reminded him, executing nimble jumps beside him.

"You look like shit," David chuckled, perched quietly on a boulder.

Low stamina was gradually taking its toll on Paul's mind. His breathing came in rapid bursts, sweat drenching his body. His thoughts—which needed no explanation—were spinning toward collapse.

The Nosferatu Hunters behind him had been pursuing for some distance already. They were significantly faster than the Ghouls despite having shorter limbs. Their agility came from their ability to climb tree trunks and leap from branch to branch. If given the choice, Paul would never have led them into dense forest terrain. Because what happened next occurred all too frequently.

Two Nosferatu Hunters dove down toward him, their sharp claws gleaming in the crimson moonlight's eerie glow. Paul spun around, swinging his sword in a wide arc, unleashing [Crescent Moon Slash].

Only one was cleaved in half, blood spraying everywhere as it took the blow for its companion. The second one raked downward while Paul's arm was still extended from the attack.

Two of its razor-sharp claws punctured through his leather armor, carving deep furrows across his chest and abdomen. He stumbled backward, coughing violently. Fighting through the searing pain, he sprang back to his feet and swung his sword at the monster still recovering from its own attack.

The Nosferatu's arm rolled away. Unlike the previous monsters, this severed limb quickly dissolved into black dust particles, melding with the night. The creature howled in rage and continued pursuing the human who had once again taken to flight.

The effects of [Healing Hand] weren't fast enough, so with each step Paul feared his wounds would tear open completely, spilling his entrails. [Blood Resistance] struggled to counter the Crimson Court Noble's life-draining technique. The Noble floated lazily behind its army, lips curled in a smile as it watched its prey struggle.

Paul ducked to avoid three Nosferatu Hunters lunging at him, simultaneously unleashing another [Crescent Moon Slash]. [Warrior's Heart] boosted his physical stats, helping him evade the fourth monster's attack by a hair's breadth.

Another one fell, and experience shards were collected.

He still needed 200 experience to level up. Equivalent to 40 more blue experience shards. Not an insurmountable number.

As his wounds scabbed over, Paul's stamina dropped to 20.

His vision grew increasingly chaotic. His mind slowed. He repeatedly stumbled over obstacles he would normally avoid with ease.

This was the brutality of the sixth night. Relentless waves of monsters quickly drained everyone's energy. On previous days and nights, the monsters would pause, as if reaching some mutual agreement with the survivors. After these brief respites, the slaughter would resume.

Naturally, encounters were more frequent at night than during the day. Only Shadow Hounds and Ghouls were commonly encountered while the sun remained high. Vampiric elite monsters occasionally appeared due to their resistance to the golden rays from above. Survivors unanimously agreed that daylight was for rest, gathering strength for the night.

Paul considered himself experienced. He could normally maintain his stamina at safe levels by eating, resting, and pacing himself through the deadly nights. But no one could have prepared him for the sixth night's situation.

After fending off several more Nosferatu Hunters, Paul was forced to use an item he'd purchased from the System Shop: a Stamina Potion.

The yellow liquid sloshing inside the glass vial—barely larger than his palm—made him hesitate. It was the only item he could afford, costing 75 gold.

"Think carefully," David whispered beside him. "If you drink it and still look pathetic, it'll be embarrassing."

"Drink it, then tell me if it still tastes as awful as before," Lina teased.

"They're coming. Make your decision," Kate concluded the conversation between the four.

The creatures' shrieks made Paul tremble as he removed the brown cap and gulped down the liquid. The sour, bitter taste spread through his mouth, making him want to vomit. He pinched his nose, desperately trying to keep everything down. Spitting it out would mean spitting out his life.

The stamina bar in the system notification rose. 40% of his stamina was restored, bringing him back to 58.

The mountain of exhaustion vanished in an instant. Though he still didn't feel completely rejuvenated, it was enough.

With renewed strength, Paul ran and fought the monsters catching up to him. These minions, whose simple purpose was to wear down opponents, had straightforward attack patterns. Yet simple didn't mean harmless. The Nosferatu Hunter pack hadn't yet used their sound ability, leaving Paul constantly on edge.

Eventually, the chase led him back near his campsite. Seeing the wooden cages reduced to glowing embers in the night, he veered in a different direction.

Passing a large tree trunk, he swung his sword to cut a rope.

A row of spikes created from sharpened poles fell from above with a thunderous crash, impaling two Nosferatu Hunters. The remaining pack leaped over the rising dust cloud, ignoring their fallen comrades.

Awaiting them was a pit covered with leaves, also filled with sharpened implements. The difference was these were made mostly from monster bones. If dissected, one would find they once belonged to the elongated limbs of Ghouls. The bed of small spikes came from crushed Shadow Hound bones.

The trap caught four monsters, but those behind stepped on the bodies that hadn't yet dissolved to dust and made it across.

Paul moved in a winding pattern, ensuring the pursuing creatures triggered his remaining traps.

A snare trap activated when a Nosferatu Hunter stepped into a loop hidden near some bushes, concealing its mechanism attached to a bent tree. It was flung upward by the slingshot force, dangling like a pendulum.

This was the most labor-intensive trap Paul had to set up alone. He had to both bend the tree downward and tinker with securing the loop strongly enough to withstand preparation. These traps typically only worked on creatures like Nosferatu Hunters. Being summoned, they were essentially newborns, light enough not to render the traps ineffective.

Paul leaned sideways, running in an arc pattern, swinging his sword at the dangling, struggling monsters. Simultaneously, he collected experience shards.

After activating several more traps, Paul had exhausted all his preparations. He alternated between defensive slashes and offensive strikes, blindly seeking more experience shards from the fallen monsters.

He had no viable plans left. Running would only lead to exhaustion and inevitable capture. After all, these portals were designed to push participants to their deaths. Only then would the final reward be considered adequate compensation.

Paul finally collected enough experience shards to level up.

A skill selection notification appeared before his eyes.

<<Option 1>>

[Silver Strike] Level 5 to Level 6

• Holy Mark chance increase from 15% to 20%.

• Three-hit sword combo increase damage by 5%.

<<Option 2>>

[Blade Mastery] Level 2 to Level 3

• Sword Damage increase from 20% to 24%.

• Attack Speed increase from 10% to 14%.

• Critical Chance increase from 5% to 7%.

<<Option 3>>

[Last Stand] Level 1 to Level 2

• Increase duration from 8 seconds to 15 seconds.

• Damage Reduction remains the same at 50%.

• Damage Increase remains the same at 100%.

• Healing Effect Increase remains the same at 100%.

Paul didn't choose immediately, as the first two skills wouldn't significantly impact his desired outcome.

The Nosferatu Hunters, following the Crimson Court Noble's orders, had begun surrounding him. More than half had been trapped or killed.

The chaotic battle phase began.

Gaunt forms lunged at Paul. He struggled to defend himself. Silver flashes erupted as he used [Silver Strike] and [Crescent Moon Slash]. The Holy Marks he left on the monsters made them convulse in agony. His sword became coated in fresh crimson.

The red moonlight illuminated Paul's exhausted face. Streams of black blood flowed down his forehead, or meandered across his face, down his neck, hissing as they soaked into his clothes. Claw marks scored his arms, thighs, stomach, and chest. He still managed to dodge enough to prevent attacks from landing on vital areas that would immobilize him.

The struggle between the two sides resulted in the mangled bodies of Nosferatu Hunters and a human nearing the brink of death.

At this moment, the Crimson Court Noble above let out a piercing shriek.

The Nosferatu below straightened their necks in response. Their mouths opened wide, revealing hideously blackened teeth. Even those Paul had dismembered, unable to move, joined in.

Their mournful, intensifying screams shook the tree branches and grass blades, sending dust flying everywhere.

Paul's spirit crumbled as his eardrums vibrated, shattered beyond repair. Blood flowed from both ears. He fell to his knees under the mental onslaught. Before him was only a blurry image. He commanded the system panel to appear directly in front of him.

He groped blindly toward the far right.

<<[Last Stand] leveled up!>>

The Crimson Court Noble dove down, its claws tearing into Paul's left flank.

All his wounds had now pushed his life force low enough to trigger his skill.

Paul's [Last Stand] began.